As a long-time volunteer and board member with Family Promise of the Capital Region (FPCR), I have witnessed firsthand the transformative care and compassion with which the staff addresses the needs of families who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness. They, together with hundreds of volunteers, serve families on a first come, first served basis, providing direct assistance and wrap-around services tailored to each family’s needs. There is no charge for the shelter services provided, and unlike many similar programs, once guest families secure housing, FPCR continues to offer ongoing counseling and support for a minimum of a year – and often longer – to ensure they achieve life-long stability. The staff also goes to great lengths to prevent families from becoming homeless, providing emergency funding, food, household supplies, and transportation assistance, as well as advocacy, counseling, and referrals to community resources.
Family Promise truly has a heart for the community and families it serves. I was first introduced to Family Promise last year and was invited to take a tour of the site shortly after. I was greeted with true kindness by Mary, Adele, and the family that was currently on site. If that was any indicator of how the families were treated I was in. The "site" is a home that is cheery, warm, and loving. The true goal is to work with the families, the congregations, and the volunteers to help establish long standing stability that includes housing, education, transportation and encouragement to those who need it.
And guess what? Its done with funds raised by the communities, grants, sponsorships, churches, volunteers, and board members. That's amazing, that's community, that's God's work, that's Family Promise!
Family Promise of the Capital Region (FPCR) is changing the lives of homeless families in lasting and profound ways. As FPCR accepts no government funding, they serve only one constituency - their families. An interfaith network of host congregations shares one fundamental belief - that safe and secure housing is a basic human right, and we are all called to serve those in need, especially children. Executive Director Mary Giordano is a miracle worker, mobilizing the support of landlords, lawyers, medical professionals, hotel managers, and a small army of volunteers to support the mission. She and her small team blend compassion and resourcefulness to literally change families forever futures. I am humbled and honored to serve on the BOD of this organization.
As a volunteer and parish coordinator for Family Promise of the Capital Region, I have seen firsthand the remarkable success in keeping families without shelter together, supported, guided and cared-for while they seek a new home. Other families at risk of losing their homes are supported with rent supplements, furniture, money for a past-due utility payment. No government funding is sought or accepted. Equally remarkable is the effect on the volunteers who sustain Family Promise. They see the common humanity of people whose backgrounds are quite unlike their own, the courage and graciousness they manage to summon in the face of daunting life challenges. Family Promise is both an inspiration and an invitation to love.
Family Promise is a wonderful community resource, helping homeless families and those in danger of becoming homeless. Without judgment and with compassionate know-how, the staff and dedicated volunteers work to enable guests to find and thrive in affordable housing. They assist without fostering dependence but are attuned to clients' needs even after they have found a home.
As a volunteer at the center where guests spend their days before going to a local congregation for an evening meal and overnight stay, I've seen how both staff and volunteers interact with families and how they, in turn, respond. As a Family Promise volunteer at my local church, I have seen how my fellow parishioners provide caring and support.
Family Promise is a resource that fosters community!
There seem to be no limits to what the team at Family Promise can do. A high school senior, working part time in the fast food industry, was left as sole support of his grandmother and younger brothers when his mother was deported. The family was on the verge of homelessness until Family Promise stepped in and helped. After graduating, the young man found a second part time job in auto repair for the summer but, ironically, his own car was deemed irreparable. It took only a few weeks for Family Promise to find him a donated car. During those few weeks, a team of volunteers—myself included—came together to get him back and forth to the repair shop in the morning so he could bike to the fast food job in the evening. Family Promise resurrected this young man’s dream of going to Community College. With his ‘new’ car and new wrap-around services, he was able to get to classes in the fall. He has a plan for the future, one that includes his younger brothers. This is only one success story. There are several. I am proud to be a volunteer in this organization, where families get the support and encouragement they need to succeed.
Family Promise of the Capital Region is an outstanding organization that provides homeless families with anything and everything they may need to get back on their feet, such as emergency and temporary housing, education, financial guidance, health services and so much more. These families are surrounded by a host of loving and supportive community partners. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of it!
I have been privileged to serve as a volunteer for Family Promise through my church. Meeting with and
feeding these homeless families has been a wonderful experience. This organization does a fantastic job seeing to all the needs of these families.
I volunteered here. There were several nice gentlemen that were very pleasant to be around. But there were also a group of others that were the most rude people I've ever met. They found it acceptable to get mad and annoyed with many volunteers who were just trying to help. One of the gentlemen even got lunch for everyone there but some women working there decided to eat my sandwich. Overall I had a horrible experience but I didn't give one star because there were a few nice guys there.
The staff of Family Promise compassionately support homeless families and assist them finding stable housing, which will bring stability to their lives. The Family Promise volunteers are incredibly generous in a multitude of ways to support the families, especially during the pandemic.
Family Promise has filled a gap in our region that leaves families ineligible for government assistance without resources, advocates, or a safe haven for their children as parents try to negotiate the world and a complex government system. Some of the families served have green cards, some are fleeing violence, some have recently encountered significant medical problems, some have recently lost a breadwinners and some are seeking refuge in this country for only as long as it takes for a sick child to get or finish medical treatment. Because we take no government assistance other agencies will send these difficult cases to Family Promise. We started with nothing but a dream. It took almost 3 years and multiple appearances before neighborhood groups and zoning boards before we were allowed to open but we used the time well. We recruited new board members, educated staff, got essentials like a Day Center and a van, and built up donations and grants to secure and pay a great staff. But we went beyond operating expenses to secure enough donations and grants to offer wrap around assistance to current and former clients, and prop up others to prevent them from becoming homeless.. We have seen clients sing in Carnegie Hall, graduate from high school and college, speak at graduate ceremonies, purchase their first car, and start their own businesses. Hopefully a generation of children will have been shielded from the trauma of violence, the stigma of homelessness, food insecurities and a view of society as cold and uncaring. Instead they have seen and met strangers that have offered them food, a safe place to live, training and assistance for their parents, but most importantly, love.
The work Family Promise has done for homeless families in the Capital Region is remarkable. Mary and her team have helped 51 homeless families find sustainable housing aided 200 people and families just this year.
I am so honored to be a board member for this incredible organization. The passion, care, and commitment to helping our families has remained since the day I joined and continues now. Our volunteers are the heart of our organization, and they are valued and honored so much. Our families are provided with the type of support and guidance that is dignified, wholistic, and life-changing for the long-term. I am so very proud of FP of the Capital Region!
I have been a Board Member with Family Promise for a number of years now. The program itself is simply awesome. Mary (our director) has helped transform a handful of people in a room with an idea into a multi-pronged machine helping dozens of people find homes each year. I'm proud to be part of such a unique and fantastic organization.
Family Promise of Albany County provides homeless families with an opportunity to regain their independence through a unique program that provides housing and counseling to homeless families. Staff and volunteers work one-on-one with individual families to develop a plan that ensures each family regains their independence, including permanent housing, employment counseling and family support.
Family Promise is one of the best programs in the Capital District. Time and time again they help resolve the seemingly unsolvable crisises for families and individuals who are in need. I am incredibly proud to be involved with this organization and everything that they do.
My family received services through Family Promise. They do much more than just help with physical housing. They helped my husband learn to budget. They also helped him with parenting skills and finding him counseling. They set families up for success in all areas.
I have volunteered with Family Promise since they launched in the Albany area though my church. They not only support families in need with love, kindness and direct resources, but they
take time to educate their volunteers throughout the process. Every volunteer learns the complex reasons why a family may find themselves without secure housing. It is a vital program in our community.
Family Promise of the Capital Region serves homeless families in at atmosphere of dignity and respect. Guests are provided shelter, food and companionship while caseworkers help them in whatever ways are necessary to achieve the goal of living independently in affordable housing. In addition, former guests are provided all the support they need to ensure they do not fall back into homelessness. As a volunteer, I have seen first hand the life-changing impact of this wonderful organization!
I’ve volunteered through my parish for FAMILY PROMISE. They provide emergency assistance for homeless families and families living on the edge of homelessness.
Family Promise has a great success rate in assisting homeless children and their families in achieving permanent affordable housing. With a staff of one full time director and a few part-time case managers, drivers and support staff, FPCR has brought together more than 35 congregations and community groups as well over 600 volunteers to bring collaborative solutions to a growing problem .